The photorealist paintings of Philip Munoz and Simon Hennessey focus on figures in the urban context while addressing the role of personalized glamour in contemporary female social identity. By the same token, Anna Halldin Maule and Johannes Wessmark both present works that astound in hyperrealist precision, yet they each choose to portray their subjects within the classic cannon of beauty.

Skillfully executed, the paintings of David Michael Smith add an element of fantasy to the group. With subtle references to historical figures, religious symbolism and contemporary pop culture, his works provide a glimpse into a darkly beautiful world where the viewer’s imagination is encouraged.

Within the varied context of the exhibition, Tor Archer’s Study in Bamboo references timeless beauty from a mythological perspective. Made of welded copper branch like forms, the freestanding sculpture offers a contemporary view of the archetypal Venus/Madonna figure, referencing the goddess figurines familiar to us from prehistoric archeological sites.

The most unusual work in the exhibition is Acumen, a dye cut aluminum wall sculpture by Nicholas Auen. A stylized rendition of a young girl surrounded by butterflies, it cleverly incorporates the viewer as part of the figurative milieu, as our own image is reflected in its fractured, highly polished metal surface.

On view through June 30 at Geary Street Projects, 349 Geary Street. For more information and images please contact: [email protected]